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Holiday Eating

Posted: December 6, 2011

Holiday time is here again. And so are the joys and challenges of healthy holiday eating. When I attend a holiday gathering, I often find myself standing right beside the food table to be close to the goodies. I end up eating more than I need and thus am uncomfortable later in the evening.

A lot of social time during the
holidays is spent around the table eating as we visit with family and friends.
The holidays are cluttered with opportunities to overeat. There are big family dinners, office parties,
neighborhood open houses and even taste-testing the products of your own
culinary efforts.

Most people
say that their good intentions of eating healthily around the holidays are
compromised by three particular things:
parties, with appetizers and drinks; sweets, all of the delicious
cookies, candies, pies and cakes; and big family dinners, where they stuff
themselves. It is possible to make holiday dining healthier just by trying some
of the following holiday eating strategies.

First, plan ahead. Think about the parties and events you will
be attending. Put them on your calendar
as a reminder of those days you will be eating heavier. On these days, eat lightly at other meals to
balance the calories and fat in your party food. Next, eat before you go
rather than going to the party hungry.
Have a low-calorie snack such as a bowl of cereal, low fat crackers, string
cheese, low-fat yogurt, a piece of fruit, half a sandwich or even large glass
of milk. This snack will curb your
appetite and hopefully keep you from overeating. Drinking a full glass of water also can take
the edge off of your appetite. Next, be
choosy. Choose foods you truly love
rather than wasting precious calories on something you really don’t enjoy. Skip the food you can have anytime and
concentrate on seasonal favorites. If
you really crave something sweet or high in fat, have it. Satisfy your craving in moderation, and don’t
hate yourself afterward. Next, watch
your portionsizes. You can sample about
everything if you keep the serving size small.
Keep the number of appetizers you eat to a minimum by limiting your
choices to a particular kind or a certain amount. Go easy on second
helpings. If you do want more, ask for
more vegetables, grain dishes or bread.

Slow down. Be the last to start and the
last to finish. Enjoy the conversation
and always leave something on your plate.
Try dividing the evening into one-hour increments, only eating a certain
amount during each one-hour period. Be
assertive. If you don’t want something, graciously decline. “I couldn’t eat another bite” is a polite
response. Proximity to food can also make a difference. Socialize away from the bar or buffet table.
You may think twice about crossing the room for a second plateful. Keep
things in perspective. If you happen
to eat more than you intended, keep a positive attitude. Tomorrow is another day. Get active. Make sure that moderate exercise is a regular part of
your holiday schedule. It can help you
burn off extra calories, tone your muscles, and work off some holiday stresses
and strains.

As you,
your friends and family celebrate the upcoming holidays, eat, drink and be
merry with healthy holiday eating habits.
Happy Holidays!!